Just when we thought that things could get back to normal, things are getting crazy again. Here's the thing. Things have always been crazy. We're just more aware of it now. The pandemic made us all more reliant on digital media. We've hung on the news and social media as a replacement for the real world, and I don't see that as an improvement. Everyone I know is more anxious, less tolerant, and more opinionated. All of these things are barriers to contentment and fulfillment. If there's one thing that I've learned since 2020, it's that putting down the phone is the key to emotional healing. I'm aware of the irony here. I'm writing this on my phone, you're reading it on your phone, but it's what we have to work with at this moment. If you're finding yourself upset about things you have no control over, please put down your device. Go outside, or go deep within yourself. Make some art, play with a dog, hug your family. Things are much clearer when you're not staring at a screen. Wishing you all a calm, clear day. #diyordie #wemakeyarn #yarnaddict #yarnspinning #fiberart #maker #makersofinstagram #artheals https://www.instagram.com/p/CSege9Hl3vf/?utm_medium=tumblr

Shop update just went live! There are some new twists on old favorite colorways, and lots of lovely locks. Shop link in bio #etsysellersofinstagram #jennyfieldsfiber #nutmegcollective #woolporn #fiberporn #handdyed #handdyedwool https://www.instagram.com/p/CR9k3MaLrby/?utm_medium=tumblr

A little art yarn for your nerves. This one is spun from my locks, merino, and sari silk in my Haughty Melodic colorway. #fiberart #yarnporn #artyarn #handspunyarn #handdyed #jennyfieldsfiber #nutmegcollective #locks https://www.instagram.com/p/CRmRKzQoHhJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

Just wanted to make an appreciation post for @colibri_felting Deb's batts have given me countless hours of joy over the past year. Her attention to quality is second to none. These are three pretty traditional spins, but get a load of that texture and color! Thanks Deborah, for all of the beautiful fiber! #fiberart #fiberartist #yarnpornofinstagram #yarnporn #handspunyarn #artyarn #jennyfieldsfiber #nutmegcollective https://www.instagram.com/p/CRmQ0Zyo-CA/?utm_medium=tumblr

I spent about 2 hours yesterday trying to figure out how instagram's emphasis on the reels feature fits into my online life. By the end, I felt like a dinosaur without any observable tech ability. I'll get there eventually, but in the meantime, I offer you good old fashioned chain plying on my analog spinning wheel. I hope that you're all having a lovely day, and enjoying the simple things in life. #diyordie #wemakeyarn #yarnaddict #yarnspinning #fiberart #maker #makersofinstagram #handspinnersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CRWfcgVIK9G/?utm_medium=tumblr

My Wensleydale fleeces are finally in! Here's a little peek at what's up in the shop right now, in addition to some neons, and some gorgeous lambie locks. Get them while they last! #fiberart #handdyedwool #fiberporn #spinningfiber #feltingwool #locks #etsysellersofinstagram #nutmegcollective https://www.instagram.com/p/CRFMFCLpZWf/?utm_medium=tumblr

In my home state, nearly everything is open again, and mask restrictions are mostly gone, but in many ways, the pandemic is far from over. This tenuous moment in time has me thinking a lot about the practice of accepting impermanence. In happy moments, it's very human to want those feelings and situations to last forever. Ignoring the temporary nature of all things only prolongs suffering later, and often leads us to take the good things for granted. Emotional balance is more readily attainable while consciously accepting life's impermanent nature. It allows us to not only prepare for inevitable loss, but also to fully experience joy and gratitude for all that we do have. I hope that you're all having a great week, and that you're fully enjoying every minute of this constantly changing life. #stitchwitch #igspinners #lifeskills #mentalhealth #asmr #rapunzelhair #silversister #grombre https://www.instagram.com/p/CREcDi-pBvW/?utm_medium=tumblr

Somehow I convinced myself that I'd have plenty of free time when Lil started camp. How silly of me! Responsibilities are like water- they find a way to fill every available space. The upside is that I'm doing what I love. Training Tulip, and finally getting back in the studio to work with my late spring fleeces. A wise friend once told me that the key to happiness is carving out a little time each day to do something fun just for yourself. So I ask you, my friends, what are you doing just to please yourself today? https://www.instagram.com/p/CQyaC4tJd25/?utm_medium=tumblr

School is over, summer is in full swing, and our family is cultivating new beginnings. It would be easy to jump right back into life without a single backward glance, but that's not who we are. We're taking time this week to honor all that we lost, from loved ones, to routines, time, and innocence. The pandemic took so much from us, but I refuse to stop at that part of the story. What is the point of loss, if not redemption? Each loss provides an opportunity to reevaluate our priorities, and take inventory of what's left and how to maintain it. I'm wishing you all the strength and ability to process your setbacks, and see your own redemption arc today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQgQgVDJK8H/?utm_medium=tumblr

Since being fully vaccinated, we're starting to take baby steps back into the world. It feels different, like a dream of a familiar place, but with different details. It's disorienting, but then again, reawakening always is. I have trouble discerning the difference between anxiety and excitement sometimes lately, so each journey into the mix requires focus and commitment. We locked down tighter than most, and in the end, it was the right thing for us. We made so many sacrifices to stay healthy and alive, and now it's time to start living again. I truly hope that you're all living your best life today, in whatever shape that takes. https://www.instagram.com/p/CQOQZqaJDEM/?utm_medium=tumblr

We're all like buckets of water. Our psychic buckets leak by drips and drops through work, trauma, fear, stress, illness, loss, and exertion. It's refilled with rest, exercise, fellowship, nutrition, joy, and play. For 15 months, we responded to crisis after crisis, and our buckets were growing close to empty, with nearly no opportunities to refill. For many of us, the leaks have finally slowed down, but we're out of practice with replenishing our supply. It's normal to still feel like an empty bucket right now, but it won't always be that way. We're shaped differently by what we've lived through, and as we begin to understand our new ways of being, we'll find new ways to refill and recharge. The process is about not only mourning the losses, but getting to know yourself again as a different person. Wishing you all rapidly filling buckets, no leaks, and much love today. https://www.instagram.com/p/CP8RfivJl1R/?utm_medium=tumblr

Some newies up in the shop today! I've got a bunch of this gorgeous BFL/Cormo cross fleece, and matching firestar for each colorway. #fiberart #maker #fiberporn #handdyed #handdyedwool #spinningfiber #feltingwool #locks #curls #etsy #nutmegcollective https://www.instagram.com/p/CPtU0zlprV-/?utm_medium=tumblr

After 15 months of remote learning, I finally started going back to the gym. Home workouts are great and all, but gaining the ability to carve out time just for myself has been like hitting a reset button. Don't get me wrong. I love being with my family, but I desperately needed time off the clock to hear my own voice again. For a society that celebrates individualism, solitude can be grossly elusive. Caregivers are especially susceptible to feeling guilty about time alone, or receiving pushback for expressing the need. Spending all of your energy responding to the needs of others is the fastest road to burnout, and one that needs to be navigated with extreme caution. You can't fill from an empty cup. Are you scheduling enough time for yourself these days? Spinning fiber by @willowfiberco here! https://www.instagram.com/p/CPqSVVZplR4/?utm_medium=tumblr

Trauma is a funny thing. It can make us make reckless choices, isolate ourselves, and push away the people we love most. I think we're all guilty of this sometimes. I want badly to be a person of strength and mindfulness, but sometimes I fall short, and let panic get the better of me. I'm trying to remind myself that everyone has their own personal demons, and that we're all doing our best with what we have to work with. I wish I had a magic eraser, or a reset button, but I don't. The best I can do is set a goal for radical self acceptance, and keep moving forward. Hopefully in time, everything will make sense again. Whatever you're struggling with today, be good to yourself, and keep your head down, and your chin up. https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYS500JIPb/?utm_medium=tumblr

Sneak peek from this week's shop update. New items will be dropping on Thursday and Friday. This one is another yummy crossbreed- BFL/Cormo first shearing lambie locks. See you all for ballgown Thursday tomorrow! #fiberart #fiberartist #fiberporn #woolporn #locks #handdyedwool #spinningfiber #feltingwool #rainbow #etsy #nutmegcollective #jennyfieldsfiber https://www.instagram.com/p/CPWwn1fp-sq/?utm_medium=tumblr

In keeping with last week's discussion on how the pandemic has changed me, I want to talk about a part of me that I've struggled with throughout my life. As a person with a highly sensitive nervous system, I can easily get overwhelmed by things that feel normal to most people. Loud noise, bright lights, and the energy it takes to cope with high levels of simulation can be exhausting. In the interest of being part of the world, when faced with the choice between avoiding stimuli, or muscling through it, and recovering later, I have too often chosen the latter, usually to my own detriment. A year in isolation has been a relief. A break from the cycle of discomfort and recovery. I know I'm not alone in this. If you're a highly sensitive person, what tricks or buffers have you found to help you navigate the intensity of the world around you? https://www.instagram.com/p/CPGQWoBJsjK/?utm_medium=tumblr

Through most of the pandemic, I thought about all of the things I would do when it ended. Now that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, I'm less sure about picking up where I left off. So much of what I gave my energy to before feels less relevant, and some of it feels downright uncomfortable. This period of time has changed all of us in indelible ways. I'm coming away from this with a new appreciation for simplicity, routine, and quiet, a smaller circle of high quality friends, and a deeper commitment to self care. In what ways has the pandemic changed you for the better? https://www.instagram.com/p/CO0PIhEJ-2h/?igshid=e4eay3acmryw